Ditch cleaner



Feb. 2l, 1928.

G. DIETRICH DITCH CLEANER Filed Oct. 4. 1926 INVENTOR. (160.1?6 Tick Bi.. gm

`A TTORNEY Patented Feb. 21, 192,87.

PATENT oFFicE.

GEORGE maritiem Vor BURREL, CALIFORNIA.

BITCH CLEANER.

Application led October 4, 1926..,Se`ria1 1No.' 139, 14=4.v

This invention relates to improvements in devices for cleaning irrigation ditches, especially those which are .not lined with .con- ,crete or the like, and whose sides and bottom 5 therefore become heavily covered with a growth of weeds, which in time, if not removed, seriously impair the carrying c'apacity of the ditch and ultimately choke the same. leretoforesuch weeds have been removed from the ditches by meansv of various hand operated tools which is a slow and inefficientmethod. 0

rllhe principal'object of my invention 1s .given size, and adapted tobe drawn along the ditch, havingV a plurality of weed cutting elements, so arranged that at oneoperation all the. weeds `on the sides and bot- `tom of the ditch will be cut off at the roots .and the ditch restored to a proper and relatively smooth condition. f

i A furtherobject of the'invention is to y erence indica-te corresponding parts in thev several views: 1

Fig. l is a top plan view of the implement.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the de vice.

Fig. 4 is a rear end view of the same. Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the implement comprises a pair of opposed plate members of suitable length, each having a bottom portion l and sides 2.. In the present instance I have shown the bottom portions as being hingedtogether as at 3, though this feature may be omittedl and the bottom members formed as a single rigid unit. The botf tom and side members may either be formed of a single piece of iron plate or built up of a number of plates, as may be found most suitable. The width of the bottom members in such that they will fit snugly between the sides of a ditch 4 at the bottom,'while the sides 2 are somewhat higher than the sides of the ditch and are disposed at an angle to provide an implement to iit a ditch ofV a v the front end so that'the implement can vner onto the outside of the'pla-tes is a series relative to thev bottom member 1, ,so as to be parallel to the sides of the ditch. Any one implement is only intended to lit a ditch of a certain standard size vand shape.- It o0 sometimes happens however that4 in the length of a certain ditch *relativelyv wide-or 4 narrow places maybe encountered. y.The hinge of the bottom members allows the structure lto contractor expand somewhat 6 so that the Vside plates will follow the contour of the sides of the ditch irrespective of such'changes in width. j

At the front end, the side and bottom v plates are turned up asiat 5 to permit the 70 plates from cutting into` theV ditch, while the sides along the top are turned outwardly to form curved flanges, asat 6. Chains 7 or the like are connected to the bottom plates be connected to a draft horse or other pulling means to draw the'implement alongthe ditch.'y v

- Removably secured in any suitable man- 0 of knives 8, which are preferably arranged 'in a number of continuous and parallel rows down the sidesand across the bottom. The cutting edges of the knives face, forwardly andare disposed on the sides at a downward and rearward angle; and extend kacrossthe bottom to form an V-shaped arrangement whose apex is yto the rear of theplates, as

, clearly shown in Fig. 3. The knives in the different rows are disposed relative to each 1 90 other so to present a continuous cutting edge from the top to the bottom of the 4sides of the ditch and across the bottom thereof. At the same time, however, the knives are also disposed so that their cutting edges lie 95 at an acute outward angle to the face of the plates from front to rear.- This allows the weeds as cut by any one knife to pass be-V tween the knife and theplate structure and hence clear of adjacent knives. With ythe forward'movement of the machine therefore all weeds down the sides and across the 'bottom of the ditch will be cut, and there is no chance for any cut weeds to clog up and hinder the cutting efliciency of the knives or the progress of the implement.

The weight of the plate structure-is such that it will rest heavily on the bottom of the ditch. The knives therefore cut into the walls of the ditch to a depth depending on the extent to which said knives project outwardly from the plates, thereby causing the implement and connected to' the ring on the far side, as indicated in Fig. 4. Then when 'thecable is pulled the implement will be tilted and raisedzon said far side, until it 'is out of the ditch, when they implement will rest in an inverted position on the near bank, as will bey evident. lWhile the implement is being thus manipulated the outer edge of the flange 6 on the near side bites into the ground, preventing the implement from slipping back into the ditch on that eide and aiding in the raising and reversing operation. f

Though I have especially intended and adapted this device for ditch cleaning purposes it may be also used for general land cultivating and cleaning, and any other usesfor which it'may be found suitable. Also, by reversing the position of the knives (which are removable) from the outside to the inside of the plate structure, and inverting the lat-ter, the device may Abe used for cleaning levee-s.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a.

device as substantially fulfills the objects ofk the invention as set forth herein.

l/Vhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from. 'such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from thefspirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A ditch cleanercomprising a plate structure to be drawn along al ditch and having a bottom member torest on the bottom of the ditch, and side portions to lie adjacent the sides of the ditch from top to bottom; and knives mounted on the outside of the plate structure; the cutting edges of the knives having a downward and `rearward slant. I' n 2. A ditch cleaner comprising a plate structure to be drawn along a ditch and having a bottom member to rest on the bottom ofthe ditch, and side portions to lie adjacent the sides of the ditch from top to bottom;

"ranged to act on the sides of line of travel of the structurev andjbeing rar- Y theditch for their full width. c

3. A. ditch cleaner comprising structure to-be drawn along a ditch and having a bottom member to rest on the bottom of the ditclnand side portions to lic adjaa plate Y cent the sides of the ditch from top to bottom; and knives mounted on the outside of the plate structure;

the cutting"1 edges ofthe knives having a downward and-rearward.

slant, and also an outward slant from front to rear relative to theface of the plate structure. y u

t. A ditch cleaner Comprising` f a plate structure to be drawn along a ditch and having a bottom men'iberfto' rest on the 'bottom of the ditch, and side portions to file adjacent the sides of the ditch from top toV bottom;l and knives mounted onthe routside of the plate structure in the form of rows, each row extending downwardly and rearwardly from the top of one side to the bot` tom, and diagonallyl across thefbottom.

5. A. ditch cleaner comprising a: plate structure to be drawn along a ditch and having a bottom member to rest on the bottom of the ditch, and side por-tions to lie adj-acont the sides ofthe ditch from top to bottom; VandY knives mounted on the-outside ofthe plate structure in the form ofprows, j

each row extending downwardly and Nrearwardly from the top of one side to the bottom, anddiagonally across the bottom, the rear end of one knife being substantially in longitudinal alinement with the forward end of an 4adjaceifit knife and extending forwardly at an acute angle to the plate structure in angle to the face thereof from front to rear.

'4. Aditchcleaner including a plate structure'to fit into the ditch and to be rdrawn.

along the same, the 'sides of the structure being adapted to extend above the top of the ditch, outwardly projecting flanges alongv the upper edgesof said side members, and

means mounted on said flanges. Y

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

GEORGE meri-non.

members for attachment to a lateral pulling ,120 

